How much is the minimum wage in Australia?
The national minimum wage in Australia is set by Fair Work and applies to employees who are not covered by an award or enterprise agreement. From 1 July 2026, the rate is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a standard 38-hour week. Award minimum wages also increased by 4.75% from the same date.
This figure is the legal minimum pay for adult employees. It is updated annually by Fair Work after reviewing economic conditions. The rate is a floor – most workers earn more because they are covered by an award, a registered agreement, or an individual contract that pays above the minimum.
Reading the same pay as a year, a week, and an hour
The on-site tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows the equivalent weekly and hourly amounts based on a 38-hour week. For the minimum wage:
- Yearly: $52,255 (52 weeks × $1,004.90)
- Weekly: $1,004.90 (38 hours × $26.44)
- Hourly: $26.44
This conversion is standard for full-time workers. Part-time and casual employees receive the same hourly minimum but work fewer hours, so their weekly and yearly pay will be lower. Casual employees also get a casual loading (usually 25%) on top of the minimum hourly rate.
How the minimum wage compares to averages and medians
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $108,352 a year ($2,083.70 a week) according to ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026. That is more than double the minimum wage. The full-time median is $90,532 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025), and the all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is $74,100.
Men's full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412 and women's about $100,594. All these figures are significantly above the minimum wage, reflecting that the minimum is a safety net rather than a typical wage.
If you earn the minimum wage, you are well below the line on this site. Place a salary on the line to see how your pay compares to the national full-time average.
State variations
While the national minimum wage is the same across Australia, full-time average earnings vary by state. For example:
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
- Western Australia: $115,825
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- South Australia: $102,450
- Tasmania: $96,008
These averages are all well above the minimum wage. The site's States and territories page shows how each state's average compares to the national line.
Tax and take-home pay
For the 2026–27 financial year, the resident tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus a Medicare levy of 2% (before any reductions). A worker on the minimum wage of $52,255 would pay about $5,092 in income tax plus $1,045 in Medicare levy, leaving around $46,118 after tax. This is a rough estimate – individual circumstances vary.
How the figures are set
The national minimum wage is determined by Fair Work after an annual review. The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year (May and November). Median earnings come from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, most recently for August 2025. How the figures are set explains the methodology behind the averages and medians used on this site.
Key takeaways
- The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year.
- It is about 48% of the full-time average of $108,352.
- Most workers earn above the minimum due to awards or agreements.
- The site's line is the full-time average; the minimum wage sits well below it.
For more context on how your pay compares, use the Place a salary on the line tool. It shows your weekly and hourly equivalents and your distance from the national full-time average.